Dealer's games

this is customary practice when a cars demand outweighs supply. its a nice way of saying we're charging MSRP but adding all the profitable extras

 

At $ 27,790 for a package 2, I'd tell the dealer to find another buyer and walk away. Demand for the Prius is starting to decline because the gas panic is over. Wait a couple months, you will be able to get one around MSRP (that is unless there is another oil snafu).

As I have mentioned many times before on this forum:

1) You never get the deal you deserve, you get the deal you negotiate.
2) Never be afraid to walk away from a "deal". The Prius that you are looking at is not the last one on the planet.
3) Never put yourself in a position of desperation and submit to a dealers pressure that the deal has to be closed now, it's a losing strategy (for the buyer).

Keith

 

I was told by the rather straight shooting dealer that I eventually bought my Prius from that some of the accessories (such as the 3M scratch protector) are applied at the port, not the factory. I was also told, that these extras represent about 1/3 of the Prius. The actual mark up is pretty modest, however. The 3M bumper protector that a lot of the Prius get has an MSRP of, as I recall, $69 which seems a lot for what is essentially a Urethane decal, but if you buy this yourself it's around $50 plus applying this makes $69 seem very reasonable.

The $1000 scratch protector package being offered by some dealers is another issue; it is really around $350, but they are offering a $650 warranty (if the headlight lens breaks, they will replace it in the 5 years of the warranty). This is a pretty unreasonable (for the consumer) bit of profit taking. If you want a warranty extension for the engine components, that is a better deal for not much more).

 

I'd only change tech_guys post (above) to

2) Plan to walk away from a "deal". The Prius that you are looking at is not the last one on the planet.

 

Are these port installed, applied items actually on the main sticker, the one printed at the factory, or are they listed on the additional dealer sticker sometimes located next to the main sticker?

 

A couple years ago Liberty Toyota had junk like that listed on the main sticker. I now believe that was all PIO. If the dealer is adding it then maybe it is on a second sticker.

Read through www.carbuyingtips.com.

Liberty in Burlington had three on the lot when I passed by tonight.

 

This is true but it is the dealer that decides what port options to add, so if the car has already been promised prior to getting to port, the dealer isn't supposed to just add all that crap unless the customer asked for it.

 

Can they actually add leather seats at the dock?

 

What's insane is that there are dealers that add "pretty" wheels (i.e., heavier) and wider tires (i.e., bigger contact patch and higher RR) to the Prius at the dealership. They just destroyed the FE of the car, and many buyers wouldn't even be aware of it.

 

Just custom order one from Japan without any of these 'craps' on.....only if you can afford the wait time. Otherwise, look from somewhere else instead.....